At Curantis Solutions, our guiding philosophy is to make even the biggest regulatory transitions refreshingly simple for hospice agencies. When we learned that HOPE, the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation requirement, would become mandatory on October 1, we knew it would be one of the most significant regulatory changes the industry had faced in years. Our priority was to help agencies stay focused on their patients rather than feel anxious about technology or compliance.
We believed the key was gradual change introduced over time. Beginning in March, we rolled out a series of educational resources, followed by our first software update in April. We continued to release additional features and refinements throughout the spring and summer so that staff could adapt step by step, without the stress of a last-minute overhaul.
HOPE Resource Hub
To give teams a central place to learn and prepare, we launched the HOPE Resource Hub along with the HOPE Quick Resource Guide and interactive quizzes. These tools offered quick answers, short learning modules, and practical tips that could be reviewed in the flow of daily work. The result was that teams felt informed and supported long before the deadline, and the change no longer seemed overwhelming.
Education is Key
While education was key, we also focused on making the technology feel familiar and intuitive. Our product team examined every part of the Curantis platform that HOPE would affect and began weaving those changes into existing workflows early on. HOPE-related assessment fields were added months before the deadline so they would feel natural by go-live. We provided small, digestible updates with clear release notes and Q&A sessions so that teams could absorb each change as it came. With self-directed HOPE demos and resources, Curantis quickly became the go-to for HOPE education for state association members and other key industry influencers.
Industry Experts
To ensure our internal teams and clients were confident every step of the way, we enlisted in education from industry experts, Dr Jennifer Kennedy, Vice President for Quality, Standards, and Compliance at CHAP, and Angela Huff, Senior Manager at Forvis Mazars, to help us deeply understand the challenges that could arise so that we could think strategically about the design of our workflows and deliver and exceptional HOPE solution.
Communication
From April through September, we rolled out monthly updates that introduced new and refined functionality in manageable increments avoiding a “big-bang” release that could overwhelm users. In early September, we activated the HOPE functionality within clients’ training environments, giving their teams the opportunity to explore and practice all features in a realistic, risk-free setting well before the October 1 go-live. This deliberate approach minimized last-minute surprises and helped caregivers feel confident in their ability to stay compliant while keeping their focus where it belongs, on patients.
No One Left Behind
We also recognized that not every agency would be in the same place technologically. Some providers were still on paper or using EMRs that were not yet able to generate the required XML file for CMS. Rather than let those agencies fall behind, our implementation team built a bridge solution that looked and felt like the paper forms staff were used to, included Excel-based tracking with behind-the-scenes coding to calculate visit rules, and produced the compliant XML file they needed for submission. This allowed several hospices to submit HOPE data on time even before they went live on Curantis, and it gave us the flexibility to step in and support providers whose existing EMRs were unable to meet the requirement.
Symptom-Impact Tracking
Another advancement came in spring 2025 when we introduced symptom-impact tracking into the platform. We felt this feature was too valuable to wait until October. By capturing how symptoms affect patients’ daily lives, care teams could see a fuller picture of each patient’s experience beyond the regulatory checklist. Clinicians responded positively because this insight helped them prioritize interventions, measure the effectiveness of care plans, and demonstrate quality improvements that reflect the patient’s voice.
Throughout the transition, our goal remained clear: reduce complexity so hospice staff could stay focused on patient care. We built in visual notifications to show what HOPE item was due next whether a caregiver was on the patient profile, looking at the calendar, or preparing for an IDG meeting. Comprehensive reports and alerts gave leaders multiple ways to monitor progress and stay ahead of deadlines.
The success of this rollout reflects the values that guide our work every day:
- Rightly Responsive: Proactive in anticipating changes
- Care Driven: Supportive of clients through every stage of transition
- Always Growing: Resilient in stepping up when others cannot
- Full Ownership: Trusted by agencies that need a dependable partner
- Big Thinking: Future-ready with innovations that go beyond compliance
In Summary
HOPE was one of the most significant regulatory updates in years, but by starting early, releasing changes gradually, and supporting agencies with practical tools, we helped make the transition manageable and drama-free.
If your team is still navigating HOPE or if your current EMR is struggling to keep up, we can help you get compliant quickly and keep your staff focused where it matters most – on the patients they serve.
Contact us today to discuss your fail-proof HOPE transition with a partner you can count on. Schedule your Curantis Experience today!